The present invention relates to a zoom camera in which the image magnification is variable in accordance with the object distance and the depth of field.
Cameras having a zoom lens system capable of photographing with constant image magnification are conventionally known.
For example, in an apparatus shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Tokkaisho) No. 53-113527, a position of a variator lens group with which images of a constant image magnification can be obtained even if the object distance changes is computed and set based on the object distance and the image magnification.
While, in an automatic zooming operation, besides the abovementioned constant image magnification, it has been sometimes desired to obtain photographic images having a depth and sense of perspective, and to realize a zoom camera by which such photographic images can be obtained.
Further, in the zoom cameras of a constant image magnification as shown in the prior art, the image magnification is constant whether the camera attitude is vertical or horizontal. As a result, when persons gather so as to be framed in the photographing scene of a camera in the horizontal attitude and then the camera attitude is turned to the vertical one, persons at the periphery are apt to be disadvantageously put out of the photographing scene. Further, when the upper half body of a person is framed in the photographing scene of a camera in the vertical attitude, and then the camera attitude is turned to the horizontal one, the head of the person is apt to be disadvantageously put out of the photographing scene. On the contrary, when all persons are framed or the head of a person is also framed in the photographing scene of a camera, a target object becomes too small in size with respect to the photographing scene, or undesired objects disadvantageously come into the photographing scene.